"Mona, are you going to write about the [supposed] Mayan prophecy and the [supposed] end of the world in 2012?" I tended to say maybe, but I think I really meant NO all along.

It takes time to research and write an article. The idea is to explain what we currently understand about the topic, and the article should then be a reference for a long time. That makes it worth the time and effort.

I couldn't even began to say how silly (and contrived - some people are making money from it!) the whole doomsday business is. Here is a nice summary if you're interested: Beyond 2012 .

I'm a bit lazy and can't see myself explaining to BellaOnline readers why there isn't any evidence that the doomsday predictions are in any way likely. After all, any such article is going to be superfluous on December 22nd.

I have been involved in many deep discussions about the 12/21/12 "prediction", have done endless research, read every thing I could find on the "end of the world" Mayan calendar thing and found absolutely no proof that the Mayans predicted the end of the world.

It is a fascinating subject to get involved in, though. Some articles go deeply into astronomical, astrological and mathematical theories and assumptions -- but, still, no proof.

Phil Plait ("Bad Astronomy" blog) was disgusted to find in the drugstore a magazine called Apocalyptic Prophecies with loads of 2012 nonsense in it. But then had a laugh when he saw the barcode and I did too:

Wonder how many folk bought the magazine, have spent a small fortune stocking up with heaven knows what to wait out the Apocalypse and, when they come to do their spring cleaning in March so throw away all the old newsprint, might then actually read the bar code.

Would love to be a fly on their wall. Or even a spider on the wall.....from what you tell us it sounds a much safer place for a spider to be than being launched into space.

Avatar: HOHENZOLLERNBRUECKE Cologne, the CATHEDRAL and LUDWIG MUSEUM. Photo "Der Wolf im Wald" with Plantu's "European Dove of Peace 2012". Western Europe has enjoyed the longest period of peace in its history, and in 2012 the EU won the Nobel Prize for Peace.

It was scheduled to go out on the 22nd, and there is masses about the civilization as well as detailed explanation as to why NASA felt pretty confident we would all be here to see their video...........or maybe they were not confident at all so released so we could all have a chance to see it.

Now I am off to see if the cloud and rain have yet again made it impossible to see the Geminids.

Avatar: HOHENZOLLERNBRUECKE Cologne, the CATHEDRAL and LUDWIG MUSEUM. Photo "Der Wolf im Wald" with Plantu's "European Dove of Peace 2012". Western Europe has enjoyed the longest period of peace in its history, and in 2012 the EU won the Nobel Prize for Peace.

Avatar: HOHENZOLLERNBRUECKE Cologne, the CATHEDRAL and LUDWIG MUSEUM. Photo "Der Wolf im Wald" with Plantu's "European Dove of Peace 2012". Western Europe has enjoyed the longest period of peace in its history, and in 2012 the EU won the Nobel Prize for Peace.